Life-boat.



M 828,852. MTENTEU M11-:fu 14,1%@

o, R. mGERSoLL.

LIFE BOAT.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 15.1905.

WJUEKSS;

Unirse STATES PATENT onirica.

OLIVER ROLAND INGERSOLL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK,

LIFE-BOAT.

. No. eaasez.

Patented lAug'. 14, 1906.

Application filed September 16,1905. Serial No. 278,641.

.To all whom it may con/cern,.-

Be it known that I, OLIVER ROLANDIN- ennsoLL, a citizen ofthe United States, re` sidin at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings? provide such a boat built of metal which will e positively self-righting and self-hailing, which "will have a maximum buoyancy and of reat strength in resisting the exi encies of t e service, and which is capable o withstanding the effects of accidental or intentional puncture by bullets or other missiles.

With these objects in view the invention consists in the novel constructions of parts and their ag oupment in operative combination, as wi be hereinafter fullyv specified, and the asserted novelty then particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed.

I have fully and clearly illustrated the improvements in the accompanying drawings, to be taken as a art hereof, andwhereof- Figure 1 is a on itudinal vertical section through the boat, s owing the air-compartments, in which are disposed metallic airtanks, layers or blocks of cork, or other buoyant material. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the boat in which are indicated the watervents. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section through the boat, taken on the line 2 2 of Fig'. 1. Fig. 4 is an end view in elevation of the boat, showing the keel-line and indicating the clamp fixed on the end of the boat. Fig,

5 is a detail pers ective view of the 'brace or' clamp whichis ed at the stem and sternpost of the boat.

The hull of thelbcat is composed of an nner shell of metal 1, a middle shell 2 of suitable material, and an outer layer 3 of metal, shaped substantially as indicated in the drawings and laid together in unison with both ends of like contour, and the keel-plate 4, secured longitudinally along the seam of the bottom. v

5 designates the gunwales of the hull.

6 de i ates the upper-deck licor, and in eachl en portion of the boat are formed lair-tanks 15, whereby perfect boat to escape into the sea.

chambers or com artinents 7 8, positioned one above the ot er,v constituting air-com-y partments, wherein are laced air-tanks 9, the lower of which'may e utilized for general storage purposes` and the upper one serving to act as air-chamber to, increase uoyancy and insure the selfrighting of the oat. stem and stern-posts of the boat-is secured a bracket or clamp 10, known as a ringbolt. In the cross-'plate of each of these ring-bolts is xed an eye 11, adapted to be connected tov a lifting rope when the boat is lowered or lifted in service. Seats 12 are mounted across and between the gunwales substantially as shown in the drawings.

13 desi nates the deck, extending the len th of t e boat at this line, as indicated, an in the space between the deck and the bottom of the boat are formed compartments 14, arranged on each side of the keelson. In these compartments are dis osed metal uoyancy is attained. lt will be perceivedthat some or all of the com artments may be provided with layers or locks of cork 16, which are fastened together, serving the double urpose of promoting buoyancy and of a ording protection against destruction of Jthe material and liability of leakage when the cork is punctured. Passing through the lower chamber are the vertically-posltioned vent-tubes 17, extending through the deck and through the bottom of the boat and serve to permit the water breaking into the The vent-tubes 17 are formed with two annular collars or iianges 18, which engage the surfaces of the iioor of the deck and the bottom of the boat, and thus serve to support and strengthen those elements, substantiall 4as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. ach vent-tube may be provided with a self-closing valve 19 to prevent the Vwater from entering upwardly through the bottom, while at the same time permitting it to freely escape from above. lt will be observed that by the construction of thesey vent-tubes "with Adouble annular flanges at the ends they afford the important function of grasping between the dan es the respective surfaces of the deck and t' ose of At each end of the boat-that is, the

IIO

the bottom, thus preventing both expansion of the parts engaged and serving t0 strengthen the parts in relation to stiffening the boat and at the same time more effectively preventing collapse and leakage than heretofore.

The 11u11 of the boat is vaangaan@a by transversely-laid ribs and longitudinallysecured stringers 21, 4as shown in Fig. 3, and the ribs bein indicated in Fig. 1 by dotted lines. It Wi be' further-perceived that by iilling that portion of the boat below the deck With cork or other buoyant material the selfrightingcapacity Will be increased, and at the same 'time the boat is rendered bulletproof to such an extent that if the cork is pierced the spongy characteristic of that material Will'cause the cork to close behind the missile as it progresses in its course. The cork selected is preferably sheets or blocks secured together, so that almost any amount v of damage to the bottom or to the deck of the boat Would not materially injure its buoyanc self-righting functions, or self-hailing qua ities.

Should 'some of the compartments of the lower deck be filled with metal air-tanks, the buoyancy ofthe boat would not be affected by these even should one or more of them be pierced or otherwise damaged, since those remaining intact would more than counterbalance the damage arising from such as lhad been pierced. t may be stated that should the boatbe provided With motive power one 'or more of the tanks ma be used for the storage of oil. It is also o -served that boats may be constructed Without a cork filling or similar buoyant placed between the deck and the bottom; but invplace thereof the space may be filled throughout with air-tanks made ofv galvanized steel, co per, or other suitable metal, so that should t e bottom of the boat be ierced more orless there would be but litt e Water-s ace created, and the air-tanks Would not be iable to receive injuries so general and extensive as to interfere in the least with the buoyancy of the boat, because the deck-floor then becomes the dotation bottom of the boat, as has been demonstrated in official tests. The boat is more steady than before the punctures, and, in fact, it is impossible to capsize it.

The air-tanks are provided with the usual closures or hand-plates opening into the deck of the'boat designed for the storage of Water and provisions, and, as a matter of fact, all the tankage mentioned could be arranged to hold provisions or Water, and thus instead of the usual four-days supply, consisting of loose cans and kegs, there would be the airtight tanks With provisions lasting thirty days, none of which'could be damaged by the elements or be lost in the sea.

and arrangement of the air-chambers at the end of the boat and the air-chambers disposed in series under the deck' occupy so much of the space Within the shell that they cause the vbuoyancy of the boat to greatly exceed its loading ca aci ty, and therefore the boat is rendered sel -righting when ca sized and incapable of being sunk under or inary conditions'. l v

Having thus described my invention, what I claim', and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1.A In a' self-righting life-boat, Ithe tanks 7 and 8 located at the boaT and stern, one

above the other, metallic air-tight compartments fitted to s'aid tanks, the bottom of the hull comprising an inner metallic shelf and an outer metallic shell 3-, and an intermediate shell 2 the keelson 4 reinforcing the said shell, a metallic deck 13 extendingthelfengi ofthe boat and dividing the said tanks 7 and 8, a series of chambers positioned intermediate of the tanks 8,. air-tight metallic tanks disposed in said chambers, vertical venttubes 17 formed with two annular iianfges at each end to engage the respective surfaces of the. deck 13, and also those of the bottom, the brackets 10 provided with the eyes 11 and secured to the bow and stern of the boat, the legs of they sameextending down each side thereof, the inclined decks extending from the deck 13 upwardly to the sides of the boat, and the thwarts 12 extending from side to sid-e of the boat and above said inclined decks, tliewlroleI being so constructed that the buoyancy capacity of the boat greatly exceeds the loading capacity,` thereby rendering the boatself-rightingwherr capsized and incapable' of being sunk` under ordinary conv ditions.

2f. In a self-righting life-boat, theI tanks 7 and 8- loca-ted at the bow and stern, one above the other, metallic air-tightI com-partments iitted to said tanks, the bottom ofthe hulll comprising an inner metallic slreil and an outer metallic shell 3, and an `intermedriote shell 2, the keelson 4i reinforcing the said c Shelli, a metallic deck 13 extending the length of the boat and dividing the said tanks '2 and 1 8, a series of chambers positioned intermediate` of the tanks 8, air-tight metallic tanks disposed in said chan'rlz)ers-i,4 verticaliJ vemtubes 17 formed with two annular flanges at each end to enga e the respective surfaces of the deck 13, an also those ofl the bottom, the brackets 10: provided with the eyes l1 and secured to the boW and stern of the boat, thelegs ci the same' extendin down each side thereof, the inclined dec s extending from the deck 13 upwardly to the sides o# the boat, the metal cross-ribs and the longitudinal ribs constituting the frame, and the thwarts 1,2 extending from side to Side of the In testimony whereof I aX my signature goat and above sadnolllinedleeoks, the Whole t in presence of two subscribing Wtmesse,

ein so oonstruete t etI t e uoyano caacgy of the boat greatly exceeds the oad- @EVER ROLAND INGEBSOLL' 5 mg capacity, thereby renderngthe boat self- Witnesses:

rghtnwhen oapszed and incapable of be- AGATHA F. NGERSOLL. ing sun under ordinary conditions. A. G. HEYLMUN. 

